Bread for the World Statement on markup of the Raise the Wage Act

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Meeting the repair and renovation needs of the country’s aging infrastructure—roads, bridges, and many other structures essential to our modern economy—will require filling millions of jobs. Photo: Bread for the World

Washington, D.C. – Bread for the World released the following statement on the markup of the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582) by the House Education and Labor Committee. The statement can be attributed to Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World:   

“Bread for the World strongly encourages members of the House Education and Labor Committee to support the Raise the Wage Act and pass it out of committee. The legislation would lift wages for 41 million American workers and significantly decrease poverty and hunger in the United States.  

“This Raise the Wage Act would raise the federal minimum wage this year and increase it annually until it reaches $15 an hour in 2024. The minimum wage would then be adjusted each year to keep pace with inflation.  

“Poverty and food insecurity in America are driven in part by low wages. This is especially true for working families of color who disproportionately make lower wages and have higher rates of food insecurity. Studies show that increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour would lift almost 1.2 million households out of hunger. 

“The best way to end hunger is to ensure that everyone who wants a job can get one, and that it pays a living wage. The Bible is clear, ‘The laborer deserves to be paid’ (1 Timothy 5:18).”   

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